According to a recent article in the British Sunday Times newspaper, the pilot of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 is being called a “chief suspect” in whatever caused the airline to vanish more than three months ago. The report indicated that authorities have cleared everyone else on board – 238 individuals – of any connection to the disappearance.

Investigators are apparently still no closer to determining the plane’s whereabouts or what happened after communication between the crew and authorities on the ground was lost.

A Malaysian police source refuted claims that Captain Zaharie Shah has been definitively linked to any wrongdoing.

“The police investigation is still ongoing,” he explained. “To date, no conclusions can be made as to the contributor to the incident and it would be sub justice to say so.”

He confirmed that authorities “are still looking into all possible angles.”

Shah’s friend, Peter Chong, is upset by the implication, explaining that no one who knew him believes he had anything to do with his plane’s disappearance. He noted that the pilot has been tenuously linked to the incident earlier in the investigation.

Shortly after the plane vanished, police reportedly searched Shah’s home and left with a flight simulator they found inside.

“He has never hidden the fact that he has a simulator at his house,” Chong asserted, noting that “everybody’s proud of it.”

He explained that Shah built the simulator “because that is his hobby,” and he “wants to share the joy of flying with his friends.”

Authorities reportedly noticed a number of simulations deleted about a month prior to the plane’s disappearance. There has been no evidence presented indicating that their deletion is suspicious, though.

In the end, some conclude this latest development is just another opportunity for the media to speculate on a story that has captured the interest of audiences around the world.